Greeted by Grace: Why does this viral video make us cry?

The perfect joy of a dog greeting his master on returning home from war leaves even the most stone-hearted tearful.

When I first saw this video on YouTube, I thought so what? Then I began reading through the long list of comments to see what people had to say. Some made me smile. Others made me raise an eyebrow or two. Others questioned the war and then were attacked for doing so.

As I read on, though, I found a small window into the life of Lt Schmidt, his wife and his dog extending beyond these few minutes, spanning years to tell the true story of what it means to both go to war and then come home.

Debby429:
He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.

5293278363:
Semper Fi – (do) !

Ltschmidt02:
Gracie is half golden retriever/ half corgi. We saved her from the pound in 2004. She’s sitting at my feet as I type this, begging for cheese and crackers.

Princess8788:
LOL when my husband came back from Iraq the second time. He got out of the truck and his dog launched herself from the ground straight into his arms.

Ltschmidt02:
Gracie is still doing great … she is a hell of a good friend. She is six now and still gets a ton of attention even now that my wife and I have a young son.

Doglover1:
Therefore by the grace of God, goes Dog.

LtSchmidt02:
There are tens of thousands of combat arms soldiers and Marines on their third+ 12 month deployment down range; I’m only gearing up for my second. I don’t want to be made a symbol for something that I don’t deserve to be. You have to be careful, because you have no control when you go on TV unless you are very, very savvy (I am not). Or you get crazy and end up building a UFO weather balloon in your back yard.

Now I have to go change a diaper, then walk Gracie.

sleepyrodent:
I’m sorry if all the attention this clip has received is getting a little overwhelming (I think I’d be a little intimidated too!). It’s really selfless of you to sacrifice a bit of your privacy to make so many people happy with this slice of your life. It gives hope to those of us with loved ones over there that we’ll get to have such a happy reunion.

colodomom:
My husband is a prior enlisted Captain in the Air Force who did some time in Afghanistan.You’re right, the guys deployed for a year or more are heros and so are their wives. I think I know why your video has become so popular. People are aching for a good﻿ story. We’ve heard lots of sad stories, lots of heroic stories, but I think people are looking for a simple, happy story. Thanks to you and your family for giving that to us. Best wishes and stay safe.

Ltschmidt02:
I have been activated again. Bummer. I am going back to Afghanistan soon for six months. Maybe there will be another video of Grace and me in 2011.

Because you never appreciate how much you love home as when you know you’re leaving.

We look forward to your next homecoming video, Ltschmidt02. This next one will be even sweeter, and perhaps more private, as you’re greeted by your wife, child and, of course, Grace.

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Why do you think people have had such a strong reaction to this video? And should we perhaps leave him alone now?

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